RQIA Independent Review of The McDermott Brothers' Case

7.7 Governance, Including Coordination and Communication
7.7.1 The responsibilities of the WHSCT in relation to its discharge of
statutory duties and duty of care to its population are complex. A
number of key governance and accountability issues arise in respect
of:
• child protection
• public protection
• the protection of vulnerable adults
• duties under the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986
• duties under human rights and equality legislation
• requirements to work cooperatively with other agencies
This section of the report examines the way in which the WHSCT
managed the circumstances of this case as it emerged, considering
whether the WHSCT discharged its duties and responsibilities in line
with legislation and policy. These considerations are examined under:
• governance and risk management
• coordination of the WHSCT actions
• communication with the community, politicians and the media
Governance and Risk Management
7.7.2 From an examination of the records and in speaking with staff within
the WHSCT, RQIA found that the management of the events in the
early stages was appropriate across all programmes of care. As
reported in section 7.1, following referral from the PSNI to the Gateway
team and into the public protection arrangements, a robust and
coordinated approach was taken by the relevant personnel. A similar
approach was taken by staff working within the Adult Learning
Disability team who assumed responsibility for the care of the brothers
when they had been assessed as having a learning disability. It is
evident that risks were managed at an appropriate level within the
WHSCT.
7.7.3 As soon as issues began to emerge in respect of the disposal of the
brothers in the community, the WHSCT's Senior Management team
took corporate responsibility for issues as they emerged. It was
evident from meetings with members of the Senior Management team
and the Chairman of the WHSCT that the issues and concerns in
relation to this case were shared and discussed at the highest levels
within the organisation. In line with its accountability arrangements, the
WHSCT also maintained continuous and open lines of communication
with the HSC Board and the DHSSPS.
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